Home » Rx Sea Food, Soups and Recipes (A - Z) » Ocean Perch – Nutritional Value, Health Benefits, Recipes

Ocean Perch – Nutritional Value, Health Benefits, Recipes

Dr. Harun Ar Rashid, MD - Arthritis, Bones, Joints Pain, Trauma, and Internal Medicine Specialist October 18, 2021 Rx Sea Food, Soups and Recipes (A - Z)

SaveSavedRemoved 0

Deal Score0

1

Deal Score0

The Pacific ocean perch (Sebastes alutus), also known as the Pacific rockfish, Rose fish, Red bream, or Red perch, is a fish whose range spans across the North Pacific from southern California around the Pacific rim to northern Honshū, Japan, including the Bering Sea. The species appears to be most abundant in northern British Columbia, the Gulf of Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands (Allen and Smith 1988).

Sebastes alutus (Ocean Perch), belonging to genus Sebastes and family Sebastidae, has other common names such as Pacific rockfish, Red bream, Rose fish, Red perch, Pacific ocean perch, and Rock Cod. It is widely found in North Pacific from Southern California (Pacific Rim, Northern Honshū, Japan, and the Bering Sea). It is plenty in Northern British Columbia, the Aleutian Islands, and the Gulf of Alaska. Pacific Ocean Perch has a compressed body and head which measures about 53 cm (21.2 inches) long. It usually weighs about 4.5 lb. (2.05 kg). The body is deep red with brown, olive green, or black patches in the body. It has thick, strong, and gelatinous skin with pinkish flesh. The cooked Ocean perch has a delicate, mild, and sweet flavor. It lives from 100 to 200 years. In Alaska, the female fish lays up to 10000 to 300000 of eggs that hatch from April to May. The predators for Ocean Perch are Pacific halibut, sablefish, sperm whales, seabirds, other rockfish, lingcod, demersal fish, and salmon.

Health Benefits of Ocean perch

Ocean perch is loaded with various amounts of nutrients, protein, and vitamins that provide enormous health benefits. It could be added to the diet in terms of soups, stews, chowders by boiling or deep frying. Health benefits provided by the consumption of Ocean perch are discussed below:

1. Formation of bones

Phosphorus is essential for bone and tooth health. Along with calcium, it helps to maintain strong bones. It also promotes gum health as well as tooth enamel. It also provides relief from loss of mineral density or bone loss such as osteoporosis. The study shows that phosphorus has a link with the maintenance of heart health and the prevention of cardiovascular ailments. (1) (2)

2. Digestive health

Phosphorus helps to facilitate digestion. Niacin and riboflavin help to metabolize energy to the response systems. It also assists to clear constipation, indigestion, diarrhea, and promote bowel movements. It also eliminates toxins from the body besides recycling from the kidneys. (3)

3. Lowers fatigue

It treats the health conditions such as numbness, muscle weakness, and fatigue. Experts recommend about 1200 mg of phosphorus for adults. An adequate amount of phosphorus cures sexual weakness, frigidity, loss of libido, impotence, and sperm motility. (4)

4. Brain health

Phosphorus is vital for the brain cells to perform various functions. An adequate amount of phosphorus enhances brain function as well as cognitive development and growth. The study shows that deficiency of phosphorus enhances chances of cognitive malfunction and health conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. (5)

5. Muscle health

Protein has a vital role in the coordination and contraction of muscles. It is present in the muscle tissues that provide the structure to the muscles. It is essential for the formation of balance between the breakdown of muscle proteins and the rate of muscle protein synthesis. (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

6. Enhance immunity

It is essential for the formation of strong immunity power. With the help of a self-defense mechanism, the body prevents itself various diseases and infections. The antibodies eliminate foreign elements such as antigens in the body and deactivate them. (11)

7. Reduce cholesterol

The high intake of niacin lowers LDL cholesterol and increases HDL cholesterol from the body. It also prevents the thickening of artery walls and the conditions such as atherosclerosis.

8. Treat diabetes

Vitamin B3 helps to cure diabetes and high level of blood sugar. Niacin helps to control the level of HBA1C in diabetic patients.

How to Eat         

• Usually, it is grilled, barbecued, poached, shallow fried, baked, and steamed.
• In Asian style, it is steamed whole.
• It is added to soups, stews, and chowders.

Precautions 

• The consumption of sea fish if one is trying to reduce inflammatory diseases such as heart disease.
• Farmed ones contain arsenic that leads to arsenic poisoning.
• Seafood should be cooked safely in order to prevent foodborne illness.
• Pregnant women, young children, older adults, people having lower stomach acid and compromised immune systems (HIV/AIDS, liver disease, cancer, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, people taking steroids, chemotherapy, or immune system) are prone to higher risk.
• It might be contaminated with bacteria such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, and other bacteria relate to land use, sewage discharges, runoff, etc. These microorganisms occur naturally in warm coastal waters which could cause even death or serious illness in individuals who are at higher risk.
• Listeria monocytogenes could cause a serious foodborne illness known as listeriosis.
• The virus Hepatitis A could survive in light cooking. So one should consume it after being properly cooked.
• Fish could have toxins that could cause illness such as ciguatoxin and scombrotoxin, or histamine poisoning.
• Sea fish is related to Scombrotoxin (histamine) which develops when fish is not kept cold enough. The symptoms develop quickly and also disappear completely within 24 hours.
• The flesh of tropical marine fishes might cause ciguatera poisoning experiencing gastrointestinal maladies that could last for several days, weakness in arms and legs, and reversal inability to differentiate between cold and hot. The symptoms could persist for weeks.
• Farmed seafood results in to increase in inflammation leading to weight gain, arthritis, and heart diseases.
• The imbalance ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3 causes heart disease and hypertension.
• Seafood and fish in farms have polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organophosphorus (OPs), organochlorine (OC), trifluralin pesticides, and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) causing diseases or even death.
• The seafood has a high content of mercury, which may lead to mercury toxicity.
• Consume it in moderate amounts. So consume it with caution or Avoid consuming it raw.
• Some people might get allergic reactions. So avoid it.
• It has a high chance of contamination.
• One should limit its intake.
• Consult the doctor by pregnant women and children before consuming it. Children and pregnant women should avoid it because the high content of mercury might cause a negative impact on the development of the nervous system of a fetus.
• Seafood or fish have purines in it which is harmful to people having purine-related problems. Excess purines result in an excess buildup of uric acid that could lead to the formation of kidney stones as well as gout.

References